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Percy and the Signal (episode)
'''Percy and the Signal '''is the seventh episode of the second season and the thirty-third episode of the series. It aired in the US on the Shining Time Station episode, Stop the Press. In this episode, James and Gordon fool Percy into thinking there are such things as "backing signals". Plot Percy works in the yard, collecting coaches and trucks that the bigger engines need for their trains. Although he works hard, he can also be very cheeky. First, he wakes Gordon up by telling him was train was ready. Gordon jumps, thinking he was running late, only for Percy to reveal a line of dirty trucks. Gordon was angry and tries to think of a way to pay Percy back. Percy then goes to James and tells him that the Fat Controller has sent a message for James to not leave the shed. James was delighted, thinking the Fat Controller wants him to pull a special. As a result, he refuses to leave the shed when his driver and fireman try to take him out. The other engines are angry over having to do James' work as well as their own. Finally an engine inspector arrives and tells James to move. James refuses and tells him about the message the Fat Controller sent. The inspector points out the Fat Controller couldn't send a message as he was away. James was horrified and quickly leaves to find Percy, but Percy had decided to make himself scarce. When the Fat Controller gets back, he does speak to James as well as Percy, telling them both off for causing trouble. A few days later, Percy was showing off to Gordon and James as the Fat Controller has asked him to take trucks to Thomas' junction. He is boasting that he was chosen as he's a really useful engine, but James thinks he probably just wants him out of the way. Gordon and James then put form a plan and put it into action. They claim they were talking about being careful with the signals at the junction, especially "backing signals". Percy, keen to show off, claims that he knows all about signals and leaves, but worries as he has never seen or heard of a backing signal before. Soon Percy arrives at a signal set to danger. However, when its arm moves up instead of down. Percy, having never seen anything like it before, guesses that it's a backing signal and begins reversing. Percy's driver was shocked and quickly stops him, but Percy insists that it's a backing signal and tells his driver about what Gordon and James had said. The driver laughs, then tells him the truth. Percy is eager to leave before he was seen, but it was too late, Gordon goes passed and sees that Percy fell for the trick. Percy quickly and quietly finishes his work. That night in the sheds Gordon and James talk about signals; while they it's funny, Percy was less than impressed. Characters *Gordon *James *Percy *Thomas (does not speak) *Sir Topham Hatt (does not speak) *Edward (cameo) *Henry (cameo) *Annie and Clarabel (deleted scene) Locations *Tidmouth Sheds *Knapford *Knapford Yards *Ffarquhar Sheds *Elsbridge *Suddery Castle *The Coaling Plant Notes *This episode was based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book, Percy the Small Engine. *Stock footage from Coal was used. *In the restored version of this episode, when Sir Topham Hatt was cross with James and Percy, instead of showing both Percy and James, only James was shown. *There are differences between the UK version and the US versions: **In the UK version, Starr says "When The Fat Controller came back, He did see James and Percy too. Both engines wished he hadn't". But in the US version, Carlin says "When Sir Topham Hatt came back he was cross with James and Percy for causing so much trouble". **In the UK narration, after Gordon gets teased, Starr says "Gordon thought how to pay Percy out". But in the US version, Carlin says "Gordon thought how to get back at Percy for teasing him". **In the UK version, as Gordon and James make their plan, Starr says "They were making a plan", whereas Carlin says "They were going to play a trick on Percy". **In the UK version, Starr says "One morning, Percy was careless". But in the US version, Carlin says "But the very next day, Percy was still being cheeky". **In the US version, when James says "Where's Percy?", a little music ditty was used. This is absent in the UK version. *In a deleted scene, Thomas also had to do James' work when Percy told him to stay in the shed. *In Japan, this episode was called "Percy's Backing Signal". In Finland this episode is called "Percy and Emergency Signal". *In the George Carlin narration, an owl can be heard hooting when Percy reverses into the shed and when the narrator says "They (Gordon and James) thought the subject was funny.". Errors *Percy's left cylinder was hanging off throughout most of the episode. *When Gordon says "James and I had just been speaking about signals at the junction", part of James' face was coming away from his smokebox. *In the close-up of Percy's wheels when he reverses from the signal, a wire was visible. *When Percy goes under the pedestrian bridge at Elsbridge, the reflection of a studio member or camera was visible in the shiny part. *The signal which Percy stops at isn't the sort that's meant to point upwards. *Gordon's eyes are wonky throughout the episode. US Home Video Releases *Thomas Gets Bumped and Other Stories *Thomas and His Friends Get Along and Other Thomas Adventures *Best of Percy Gallery PercyandtheSignalrestoredtitlecard.jpg|Restored title card PercyandtheSignaltitlecard.png|Original 1992 US title card PercyandtheSignalUStitlecard.jpg|1998 US title card PercyandtheSignalUStitlecard2.jpg|2001 US title card PercyandtheSignalWelshtitlecard.jpg|Welsh title card PercyandtheSignalSpanishTitleCard.jpg|Spanish Title Card PercyandtheSignal.png PercyandtheSignal1.png|Percy, Henry, and Gordon at Knapford PercyandtheSignal2.png|Percy PercyandtheSignal3.png|Percy and James PercyandtheSignal4.png PercyandtheSignal5.png|Percy and Gordon PercyandtheSignal6.png PercyandtheSignal7.png PercyandtheSignal8.png PercyandtheSignal9.png PercyandtheSignal10.png PercyandtheSignal11.png PercyandtheSignal12.png|James PercyandtheSignal13.png PercyandtheSignal14.png PercyandtheSignal15.png PercyandtheSignal16.png PercyandtheSignal17.png|Percy, Gordon, and James PercyandtheSignal18.png PercyandtheSignal19.png PercyandtheSignal20.png|Gordon PercyandtheSignal21.png|James' face was hanging off error PercyandtheSignal22.png PercyandtheSignal23.png PercyandtheSignal24.png PercyandtheSignal25.png PercyandtheSignal26.png|The "backing signal" PercyandtheSignal27.png PercyandtheSignal28.png PercyandtheSignal29.png PercyandtheSignal30.png PercyandtheSignal31.png PercyandtheSignal32.png PercyandtheSignal33.png PercyandtheSignal34.png PercyandtheSignal35.jpg PercyandtheSignal36.png|Deleted Scene PercyandtheSignal37.png PercyandtheSignal38.png PercyandtheSignal39.png PercyandtheSignal40.png|James and Gordon PercyandtheSignal41.png|James and Henry PercyandtheSignal42.png|James and Edward PercyandtheSignal43.png PercyandtheSignal44.png PercyandtheSignal45.png|Thomas and Percy PercyandtheSignal46.png|Thomas and Percy at Rolf Castle PercyandtheSignal47.png PercyandtheSignal48.png PercyandtheSignal49.png|Percy's wheels PercyandtheSignal50.png PercyandtheSignal51.png PercyandtheSignal52.png PercyandtheSignal53.png PercyandtheSignal54.png|Deleted Scene PercyandtheSignal55.PNG PercyandtheSignal56.png PercyandtheSignal57.png PercyandtheSignal58.png PercyandtheSignal59.png PercyandtheSignal60.png PercyandtheSignal61.png PercyandtheSignal62.png PercyandtheSignal63.png PercyandtheSignal64.png PercyandtheSignal65.png|Green Express Coaches PercyandtheSignal66.png PercyandtheSignal67.png PercyandtheSignal68.png PercyandtheSignal69.png|James, Percy, and Gordon at the sheds PercyandtheSignal70.png PercyandtheSignal71.PNG Watch Category:Season 2 episodes Category:Thomas and Friends episodes Category:Episodes Category:1986 television episodes Category:1980s television episodes